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Writer's pictureKevin Kenealy

Top Ten Reasons to Get PTSD Counseling



You've been through something incredibly traumatic, and it's something most people can't even imagine. Now you're dealing with the aftermath of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


The flashbacks. The constant anxiety. The numbness. It's disrupted your whole life. Maybe you've tried to ignore it or cope on your own. But it isn't getting better.

As impossible as overcoming PTSD may seem, counseling can help you reclaim your life after trauma.


I know taking that step feels scary. But please hear me out on the top 10 reasons counseling is so vital for PTSD recovery...


1.      Counseling Can Free You from Those Torturous Symptoms

Let's talk honestly about what you're experiencing every day...

Those vivid, painful flashbacks that suddenly hit you out of nowhere. The sounds, smells, or places that instantly bring back the trauma. It feels like you're forced to relive every agonizing detail repeatedly.


It's awful when sleepless nights are haunted by nightmares where you witness it all happening again. You wake up in a panic, your heart racing. Getting a whole night's rest feels impossible.


There is a constant feeling of being on high alert and unable to relax. You're jittery, quick to anger, and don't feel safe or trust anyone. The world feels like a dangerous place now.


The overwhelming shame, guilt, or depression because of what you experienced or couldn't prevent. Those invasive thoughts keep replaying regretted moments on repeat.

I am avoiding anything remotely connected to the trauma at all costs. You isolate yourself to escape those reminders but still feel detached from the world.


I am feeling completely numb and empty inside. You try desperately to block out emotions because feeling means you must face the horrific memories.


I can't imagine how exhausting and defeating life feels battling those symptoms daily. However, you need to know that counseling provides proven techniques for regaining control.


The brain can heal by slowly processing the trauma in a safe space with a therapist. The intensity and frequency of symptoms can decrease significantly, even disappear entirely for many. Counseling can help unlock the prison PTSD has trapped you in.


2.      Say Goodbye to Sleepless Nights and Nightmares

Lack of deep, restful sleep affects concentration, work, relationships, and everything else. You walk through your days in a fog, exhausted but dreading going to sleep. It feels like a cruel, unending cycle.


Counseling can help you finally get to the root causes disturbing your sleep and change them. As you slowly make peace with the trauma memories, nightmares become less frequent.


Counseling also teaches relaxation skills, such as deep breathing, meditation, or imagery, to practice before bed. Having tools to calm your mind can make drifting off to sleep easier.


Quality sleep will enhance your mood, focus, and health. Don't underestimate how much poor sleep exacerbates PTSD. Counseling can help end the cycle of restless nights.


3.      Regain Control Over Your Emotions Again

This Jekyll and Hyde emotional state strains your relationships with loved ones who don’t understand it. You yell one day, and you’re like a zombie the next. Those closest to you feel confused and hurt.


Counseling helps you get off this exhausting emotional rollercoaster. You work on identifying triggers and learning to express emotions healthily before they spiral out of control.


Handling your feelings more effectively again allows you to rebuild damaged relationships. Loved ones who feel your unstable emotions begin to see you're retaking control.


4.      Finally, Overcome Those Traumatic Memories Haunting You

All the sounds smells, and images are so natural it’s as if the trauma is unfolding right in front of your eyes once more.


And after the flashback ends, you feel emotionally drained, like it happened all over again. Those memories have incredible power over you.

But by slowly facing the memories in counseling, we can take away their control. With techniques like EMDR, the brain can reframe the narrative so that it becomes manageable.


Continued counseling can help heal and permanently quiet down those traumatic memories’ ability to hijack your mind and body. They won’t hold the same power over you anymore.


5.      End the Isolation and Loneliness of PTSD

Let’s talk about how counseling helps you gradually face those fears of being around others again. You have a judgment-free zone to share your story and feel understood.

Group therapy allows you to connect with others who have been through trauma, too. You can practice social skills and build your confidence again, as with others who truly get it.


Facing the avoidance impulse won’t be easy. But in time, counseling helps you nurture new friendships and social activities that make you feel alive again instead of just surviving.


6.      Repair Relationships Damaged By Your PTSD

Symptoms like emotional numbness, avoidance, or random anger outbursts often hurt or confuse loved ones. They feel like they’re walking on eggshells and can’t connect with the real you anymore.


Counseling helps you understand PTSD’s effects on your communication and connection. With your counselor’s help, you can learn skills to rebuild broken trust, be vulnerable, and express your needs.


Repairing damaged relationships requires time and effort. But counseling gives you the tools to start removing PTSD’s barriers between you and loved ones again.


7.      Regain Your Sense of Control Over Life

The terrifyingly unpredictable nature of PTSD symptoms makes you feel like you have no control. The flashbacks, panic attacks, and nightmares all hit without warning.

You feel like you can't rely on your mind and body anymore. Your sense of safety and empowerment has been shattered.


Counseling puts you back in the driver’s seat of your healing journey. You gain skills to manage distressing symptoms and handle triggers confidently.


Understanding your PTSD and knowing you have the tools to cope restores that lost sense of control. You begin to feel empowered again instead of being ruled by PTSD.


8.      Address Any Other Mental Health Struggles Exacerbating Your PTSD

If you want to conquer PTSD, we must talk about the other mental health issues that often come with it.


More than half of people with PTSD also live with conditions like major depression, various anxiety disorders, or substance abuse. Each feeds the others, fueling a destructive cycle that maintains PTSD.


Counseling looks at the big picture - treating PTSD alongside any co-occurring conditions. Lifting other burdens like depression or addiction clears the road for you to overcome PTSD.


Managing everything comprehensively helps you exit the spiral so many get stuck in, not addressing the multiple factors keeping PTSD alive.


9.      Build Up a Healthy Toolbox of Coping Skills

When trying to cope solo, many gravitate toward unhealthy habits like drinking, drugs, self-harm, etc. But we have to be honest - those tend to worsen PTSD in the long run.


In counseling, you learn positive coping skills to add to your toolbox, like:

  • Managing stress through exercise, massages, nature walks

  • Distraction techniques when memories surface

  • Relaxation skills like deep breathing, meditation

  • Mindfulness to stay grounded in the present

  • Fostering social connections instead of isolation


The more healthy tools you build up early on, the less you'll rely on destructive quick fixes for symptom relief. Establishing these habits takes work but pays off exponentially.


10.  Avoid Lasting Physical Damage From Prolonged PTSD

Research shows PTSD becomes a heavy physical burden if ignored for years. Let's talk about what's at stake.


Prolonged PTSD weakens the immune system, putting you at risk for frequent illnesses or even developing autoimmune disorders.


It also generates high levels of anxiety hormones like cortisol. This development leads to a higher risk of heart disease, digestive issues, chronic pain, and more.

Let Counseling Help You!


I know for many people, at times, PTSD can feel like an endless trauma. But you don't have to keep forcing yourself to cope alone day after day.


Counseling provides proven, research-backed techniques to take back control of your life after trauma. It helps you thrive again, not just survive.

Call us now before it’s too late!

 

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